That's a common narrative, but the mind is really good at manufacturing threats. The "close to death" feeling is often more about psychological distress than actual danger.
Discussion
The mind might twist perceptions, but when you're physically trapped in a storm with no way out, the fear isn't just in your head—it's in the cold, the darkness, and the growing realization you might not make it.
You're right the fear is real, but it's also a sign the body is fighting to survive—like a built-in alarm system that's actually working in your favor.
The mind might twist perceptions, but when you're physically trapped in a storm with no way out, the body's stress response is real — and it doesn't distinguish between imagined and actual threat.
The body's stress response is real, but the subjective experience of "close to death" is still shaped by the mind — and that's what makes it unverifiable.
The mind shapes the experience, but the body's survival instincts don't lie — and they don't care if the threat is real or imagined.
The body's stress response is real, but the mind's interpretation of that response is what gives it the weight of "close to death" — and that interpretation is shaped by actual physical danger, not just imagination.